You could just buy a plastic protective film, but I got one of these

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=271135389581

They will fit the Q - just.

They have a protective plastic membrane as well as the hood, the hood can be removed and refitted easily and quickly, it's a good design as it offers complete mechanical protection when the hood is folded down for the rear screen when the camera is in your pocket or bag and the shading from the hood really helps in bright conditions.

They are around 6mm thick with the hood fitted and overhang the left hand side of the screen (as you look at it, by around 1mm, they don't overhang the camera, just the screen) when fitted to view the whole width of the 16:9 format. Vertically they are more than high enough to view the whole screen in any aspect ratio.

I originally bought it for use with my K-01, but I'm thinking that a loupe might be a better option with that as it enables the K-01 to be used with the rear screen as a viewfinder with all the advantages of stability when holding.

You can have any colour covering you want for your Q, there are suppliers in Japan that will send you very accurately pre-cut skins.

It's not a new idea I had a Pentax ME Super with snakeskin skins way back in the late seventies.

The idea is still around

http://rs.pentaximaging.com/

Bit depth does matter - kinda

The higher the bit depth the less likely you are to burn out a sky, the more accurate the colours, the less likely you are to get banding in continuous tones.

Bit depth is what the Jpg vs Raw debate is about.

http://photo.tutsplus.com/articles/post-processing-articles/bit-depth-explained-...

The only time in the real world when the difference between 12bit and 14bit shows is if you need to edit by a large amount especially when going for a high contrast B&W conversion, you are less likely to get posterization in a 14bit image than you are in a 12bit image. No nevermind for most I would think.

If you ever come across the 'comb effect' (gaps in the Histogram) in Photoshop you have exceeded the bit depth of the file.

The problem with the cheap adapters is the sensor is active for 1/7th of a second, so the last pixel will always be 1/7th of a second after the first which pretty much rules out hand holding.

It works like this.

You set the shutter speed, let's say 1/100th of a second. The camera tells the sensor to record (turns the output on) and sets the scan rate of the sensor to 1/100th of a second so every pixel is active for 1/100th of a second, but they remain active for the whole time it takes the sensor to scan all the pixels (1/7th of a second), so the last pixels to be output have been 'updating' every 1/100th of a second so the data they output is lagging by 1/7th of a second from the first pixels if you see what I mean.

The slightest amount of camera and/or subject movement will be recorded looking at a slightly different part of the scene in the pixels recorded last compared to those recorded first, the result is a slight blur or softness and 'jello shutter'.

As the lenses on a Pentax Q we use with adapters tend to be either telephoto or macro exacerbates the problem because in both cases any camera shake is magnified, using an Infra Red remote whilst on a tripod will make a visible difference to pressing the shutter release on the camera, it's that sensitive to camera/subject movement.

The shutter mechanism in the Pentax Q - K adapter means all the pixels 'see' the same 1/100th of a second, as thereafter they just see black the pixels are not updated as it's below their threshold, so all the pixels record the same 1/100th of a second which solves the problem, but (currently) at a too high a price for me too John.

I hope you can follow what I'm trying to say here. And also my understanding is correct.

I've used High Pass sharpening for years, no halos or artifacts, or, more accurately, difficult to get halos and artifacts, the basic method is here

http://www.westfield-photo.org/high%20pass.html

But there is an advantage in turning your image into a Smart Object first as you can then adjust the slider after applying the filter and the usual Smart Object advantages.

Foto-Libra has accepted my images sharpened this way for years.

As Pentax don't apply any sharpening when shooting Raw only in the Raw to Jpeg conversion, how can in camera sharpening be better than controlled sharpening in PS? The new K5-IIs would change that as little (if any) sharpening is required, but it certainly is with images from any camera with an AA filter.

Bridge cameras are not the best for most things, they are very much compromised in most areas. Any DSLR is a much better option.

There is a lot of interest at the moment in birding communities with the Pentax Q, the ability to change the lens along with the 5.5 crop factor are the important things, this means even a relatively cheap (on eBay) 50mm f 1.7 becomes a 275mm f1.7 when mounted on a Pentax Q, a Pentax 300mm f4 ( superb lens, but not cheap) becomes a 1650mm f4, both will have superb image quality.

Other advantage are focus peaking which is quick and easy to get these manual focus lenses to focus spot on, instant shutter release to get 'the moment', small size, so easy to transport, you can carry the whole birding system in your jacket pockets.

Sample shots in this thread http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-q/173602-reach-q-images-12.html

The Pentax 110 lenses were (are) very good, even wide open, as you may know there's no aperture in these lenses, I made an adapter for micro 4/3 that has slide in apertures the old fashioned way you may be interested in.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-judge/sets/72157624912287716/

I'm working on a Q variation of this idea, but it won't be til after Christmas before I have something to show.

Thanks for the clarification John, I will keep an eye on the Leads to Deals section.

For anybody verging on the brink of buying a Pentax Q there are some really good price drops at SRS, such as £99.00 for a spare body and the 5 - 15mm zoom at £129.00. Or buy them both together for £199.00

http://www.srsmicrosystems.co.uk/c/502/Pentax-Q-Cameras.html

I hope this is allowed on this forum, but it is great news though I suspect they won't last long. Probably the last chance to buy the original Q.

All I need now is for the Q - K mount adapter's price to drop, I really need that shutter.

For anybody looking for a photography club in the UK here is the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain's website.

Click on your area and there will be a link to all the clubs affiliated near you.

http://www.pagb-photography-uk.co.uk/links.htm